Let me buy you a drink
by Suffering Angel
Summary: PG to be on the safe side. Glenn's life's been turned upside down since he met Serge. After finding his brother alive again, he seriously needs to talk to someone. And the one who's willing to listen is a certain Demi-Human barkeeper.


I don't own Chrono Cross. Thank you very much

A/N: what?! An attempt at Chrono Cross… FLUFF?! From… MOI?!?!?!

Yes! ^_^ I just needed a break . trying to write characters go evil and homicidal in not one, but two, maybe three fics is too much! X_X

Oh well. Enjoy!

**No title yet**

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Boots heavily connected with the wooden platform as their owner made his way towards the tavern in the middle of Guldove. Many looked his way, some out of curiosity, some of the women out of feminine interest. But most of the village's inhabitants were surprised to see a human walking in their village.

He swung the doors open and walked in, casually sitting next to the bar, ignoring the gazes sent his way. The lady behind the bar smiled at him and winked. He simply ordered a glass of water to start with and she went on with getting him that, moving her hips seductively. 

The young man, now of 20, sighed. His life were, quite literally, a mess.

At first he disobeyed direct orders. He knew it was wrong. He knew it meant him getting into tons and tons of trouble. But he just couldn't allow himself to stay at the Manor and watch Lady Riddel when everything had such a bizarre air to it. So he ended up going on this wild journey with Serge.

A journey in which his fear became a reality, as he faced the three Dragoon Devas. Sure, he won. And lived to tell the tale. But he just couldn't help but feel guilt. His father and brother were proud Dragoons before him. No, scratch that. They weren't JUST Dragoons. They were Dragoon DEVAS. And what did he do? Fight the other three. Smart move.

But the real shock of it all was to find Dario… rather alive and rather well. Well, other than the whole lost-memory-then-possesed-by-Masamune's-enmity thing. But anyone could understand him, right? After all, he wasn't the only one. Another shock to add to poor Glenn's list.

The truth about his real brother's death… and that of his father. Yet which father, he wasn't so sure yet. Was it his own world's father, or Serge's world's? That part was confusing. But from what he learned, most chances were that both Radiuses did the same to both his fathers. Great. Not only did he lose his father, but now he learned it was the fault of his second father!

So, naturally, when Glenn told Serge, the unofficial leader of the weird group, that he needed a break, no one dared to turn the Tele-Port in any way that would disturb the already disturbed Dragoon.

But the problem now was to find a place to clear his head. Not to bump into any memories. Anything that might bring back anything. Guldove seemed the perfect option. The little his brother or father told him about the village wasn't enough to trigger any emotional baggage to stop him from having some peace of mind.

"Here you go, sweetie."

The bartender winked at him as she placed the drink before him and left to attend to some other costumer. He sipped some, allowing the cool liquid to rush down his suddenly dry throat. What was he going to do now? He talked with the others. Unless needed desperately, he had a week to burn? Now what could he do?

"Out, out, and once again, OUT!"

Glenn looked behind him, the headband flying beyond his shoulder to land on his chest. He blinked as he saw a blur rush in and out, throwing drunken costumers out of the tavern.

"For the millionth and first time, do NOT serve liquor on any other day then Sunday evening!"

"My apologies, ma'am. It won't happen again."

"Good. The damage is coming out of YOUR salary!"

"Yes, ma'am."

The Dragoon had to smile. He'd recognize that voice anywhere. He waved weakly as the blonde haired owner of the tavern walked through the doors, her two odd ponytails waving behind her. She seemed tired and Glenn could relate. She was with him and Serge about a few days before he asked to take off, and it has been at least two days since. It was only natural that even the Gladiatrix would eventually get tired.

Noticing her friend was waving at her, Orlha smiled.

"Glenn!"

"Orlha. How're you?"

She walked behind the counter and disappeared in a back room. Water were heard running and being splashed against a surface, probably Orlha's face. She walked out again, seeming somewhat refreshed.

"I'm ok. How about you? Ready to get back in gear, slice and dice 'em?"

The blonde threw two fists at an imaginary monster with a smile. The other blond shook his head.

"As if. I hardly got here; you want me back out there again?"

She shrugged, her smile now beginning to mirror her tired air.

"I guess. Say, why not have something stronger than that water?"

"I don't drink."

"It's ok; I don't serve drinks other than one night of the week. And days aside, it's high noon. So how about it?"

Glenn bit his lip, looking at his money pouch. He had enough, but he wanted to see, maybe get some new armor… He couldn't just waste it!

Seeing where Glenn's gaze was, Orlha winked at him while tilting her head somewhat childishly.

"It's on the house."

"Then whatever it is, I'll take two."

Both laughed slightly as Orlha offered Glenn some juice from fruit found only on Guldove.

"Say, I think I'll close early. Why not wait and then I could show you Guldove? Might be a nice change to just walk around, without having to fight our way through, or run to and from the chief?"

The knight sighed heavily then nodded.

"Sounds good enough."

"Great."

Being true to her word, the fighter pretty much chased everyone out before locking the doors behind her.

"You know, Orlha, I really think that maybe we should…"

She turned to look at him sternly.

"Look, mister. I closed early. True, I'm dead tired. But I'm here and not in bed or a nice bubble bath. And here I thought they teach you manners on your way to becoming Dragoons!"

He chuckled and scratched the back of his head.

"You're right. My apologies. So… lead the way."

"That's what I like to hear!"

The tour went on rather quietly, Orlha's tired voice going on and on, Glenn's equally tired voice sounding rarely through the barkeeper's explanations.

"So, that's it, I guess. Any questions?"

She giggled as Glenn failed in suppressing a yawn.

"Er, no?"

"That was a question."

Both laughed, merely from the fact they were greatly sleep deprived.

"Come on, there's a nice view of the moon from here."

The two climbed quickly through the residential tower, careful as to not wake Korcha up. Wait a minute…

"Where's Korcha?"

Orlha looked back at the slightly confused Glenn with a smirk.

"I convinced Serge to go to Mount. Pyre. And that he needed a Demi-Human Blue innate there. And that Irins also needed a break."

Glenn shook his head.

"That certainly narrowed it down."

"Now come on!"

The Einlanzers' master yelped in surprise as his female companion grabbed his arm and led him to the balcony like plank. She sat down and motioned for him to do the same.

He did and looked up at the dark blue skies, illuminated by the silver orb.

"Ok, now spill it out."

"Spill what?"

"Everything. Why you were quiet when Serge gave you the first Einlanzer. Why you began shutting Radius off. Why you don't seem half as happy as you should be, finding your brother."

"That is everything, I guess."

Orlha smiled knowingly.

"I work at a bar. I know my victims, er, conversation companions."

She tried to get the smirk off of her face. She really did.

"Ok. Where do I start?"

"Why not at the start? I bet you were a cute baby!"

Glenn looked at her as though she had lost her mind. He seemed quite sure of it.

"Well, my brother says so, but Karsh denies. Now who do I believe?"

"You really are sleep deprived."

"Oh?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. You're developing a sense of humor."

The surprised and somewhat hurt look on Glenn's face sent Orlha down a giggling fit. Glenn had to catch her to keep her from falling into the water bellow. 

"So, Sorry. You were saying?"

Glenn's serious expression got Orlha to calm down, his sigh getting him her full attention.

"Well, what were we saying?"

"Um, Einlanzer the first."

He looked at her in that 'you're-insane' way again, and mouthed 'Einlanzer THE FIRST?! WTF?!' (A/N: ok, not really WTF. This IS back then, I suppose the expression doesn't exist. And this IS Glenn .) but he quickly began.

"Well, you know, ever since I was a kid I had this picture in my mind of how I was going to inherit the Einlanzer. How my father and Dario'd be there, and smile, and congratulate me on being worthy of it. But then… Then Serge just pretty much threw it at me and said 'here, we got it, figured you'd want to use it'."

"Ouch. Man, think he could've been any less considerate?!"

"I know."

They sat in silence as Orlha tried to imagine what Glenn wasn't telling her.

"What about Radius?"

"He killed my father."

She bit her lip. So that's why he was quiet, she thought. Because if he wasn't getting ready to blurt it out so quickly and emotionlessly, she had no idea why else he might've been silent.

"The man who was like a second father to me… killed my real father."

Orlha pateted him on the back as he looked at the moon again.

"And you found your brother. Rejoice."

He didn't seem to respond, only look at the moon.

"You know, the fortune teller said that if she had to compare me with something, it'd be the moon. No light of it's own, just reflecting the sun's."

She saw where he was getting at. And shook her head. But deep down, she knew that no matter what, he had to get it out. Might as well be to her.

"I guess, ever since Dario died, I tried to shine on my own. To be the sun he always seemed to be. But he was there still."

"Guess it was like the evening."

"Pardon?"

"Well, I mean, the evening, you know? When the sun's setting and the moon's rising. He was still there by memory, but… It faded. Face it Glenn. Look at yourself. You're a great fighter. You proved it to not one, but three Devas at a time."  
  


"I had Serge and Kid to back me up."

"So… Let's say, you showed one Deva, if we divide. But you still did. You're a great person. You're kind, nice, polite, and you know how to help people. What more, if I do say so, believe me, it's true. You're cute."

The blush that she saw on his cheeks even in the relative darkness made her wish it was daylight. She had never seen Glenn blush. Sure, a naughty comment from Kid here, a dirty look from Sprigg there, but never ever a proper blush. Then again, they had never had a proper chat like that.

"Glenn, we're going around the bush here. What's the real thing? The real deal?"

He sighed heavily. Orlha bit her lip. She began to notice he sighed a lot.

"I guess, if you said it was evening, then now it's dawn."

She shook her head again and again, the second time for seeing something weird. Was the conversation going in a circle?

"I'm not Dario…"

"And no one's asking for you to be him!"

He was surprised by the sterness in her voice.

"Look, you have a big brother complex? Fine. Have one. I have a little sister thing, no big deal. But… You have to get over it."

He looked at his hands, both resting aimlessly at his lap.

"I don't know if I can…"

"Glenn…"

"Orlha, my entire life were practically meaningless other than one: to be the closest I can to Dario. Dario, the first son. Dario, the swordsman. Dario, the popular kid. Dario, the magnificent Dragoon. Dario, the Deva. When he died, and I'm ashamed to say, a small part of me was glad. He was gone. No more achievements for him to get. Achievements that I'll have to compete with. But now he's back… And I'm back to being little ole Glenn."

Orlha's eyes were the size of one of the cannonballs Fargo could call from the S.S. Invincible. She knew Leena was the whiny type. Korcha would complain whether it was justified or not. Heck, even Serge had his days. But Glenn? Strong, proud Glenn? The one who'd usually help the party member who collapsed to the bed in the inn, Glenn? She was caught totally off guard. 

But a Gladiatrix wasn't one to be off guard for long.

"You're wrong."

He looked at her with such sadness in his eyes, she almost felt like crying.

"If you were just 'little old Glenn', you couldn't have done half the things you have."

He looked down at the ocean below them, and a thought crossed Orlha's mind that scared her. He couldn't have been thinking about… jumping, could he?

She sat closer to him, ready to catch him if he did anything stupid.

"Glenn, look at me."

Orlha gently held his chin and brought his eyes to her. She decided to ignore the fact their faces were inches apart. Glenn didn't seem to mind.

"You want proof? You want proof you're not 'little ole Glenn'? Look at your sides, Glenn. What do you see?"

He glanced to his sides where the Einlanzers were strapped securely. The seemed to have an inner glow to them which momentarily reflected in their wielder's eyes.

"Now, even Dario the all mighty had only one of these babies. Don't you think it means something?"

He remained silent and Orlha continued.

"Come on, when you, Riddel and Serge found Dario, you had to fight him, didn't you? So you did! And you won! Face it, you did all the actual fighting, Riddel and Serge just cast their white elements. You fought your brother, and won! From what I heard, you were awesome!"

She stood up to make sure he understood she was serious, and the Dragoon glanced at her shyly.

"You really think so?"

She shrugged.

"Or so I've heard from Serge and Riddel."

She sat back down and hugged Glenn's shoulders.

"Come on, cheer up! Or I'll show you what me and my sis call Sisterhood!"

Glenn looked up at her as though he had something on his mind. And Orlha got the feeling it was something else than the 'I'm just a little kid with a great perfect big brother' issue.

"Did you mean what you said?"

"Which part? I said tons of stuff."

"About me being…"

He gulped, as though saying the words again would cause something bad.

"About me being… agreatpersonkindnicepolitecute. All that jazz."

She tried to make sense in the huge word he created, and nodded knowingly when she reached some meaning that slightly made sense.

"Yeah, I meant it. And I know we don't know each other very well, but that doesn't mean it's not true."

They sat in silence and looked at the stars for a while when Orlha giggled. Glenn stared at her again, blinking.

"I just thought of something. *giggle* you… you didn't have a crush on… Riddel, now… YOU DID!"

She almost fell off again when she saw the expression on his face. He kept blinking.

"Well, she was the only girl I was comfortable around, Karsh and Dario both seemed to like her, and… well, if Dario liked her, why couldn't I?"

"Because, if half the things you said were true, you never stood a chance?"

Glenn glared at her, although he soon looked away, looking sadder than he was a minute ago. Orlha shook her head.

"But I just don't get her. I mean, she must've been a real jerk to let you off the hook, even with Dario around. I mean, look at you! Like I said! Kind, caring, cute…"

Orlha's hand flew to cover her mouth. Realization dawned on her. She had just said that for the second time that evening, and once she acknowledged that she had said it. What was wrong with her?!

"Er, I mean…"

The two sat in silence for a while. Orlha did her best not to even glance at Glenn and Glenn on his part looked at the moon, deep in thought.

Soon, the Dragoon stood up and stretched his limbs.

"That was quite a… pregnant conversation, Orlha. Thank you."

"Oh, the pleasure's all mine!"

She said with a smile, then frowned in an angle he couldn't see. Why was she acting like a school girl?!

"I'd like to have another one tomorrow, if that's ok with you."

She breathed in deeply and smiled at him.

"Don't you mean, later today?"

Both laughed, and walked down the stairs of the residential tower. They were about to part when Glenn called after Orlha.

"Oh, Orlha? For the record?"

"Um, yes?"

"You're cute too."

He blushed and ran off to wherever it was he was staying at, leaving Orlha to walk back to her own house, little cupids flying around her head, making her try and punch them.

Love can make a person do the weirdest things.

A/N: . ooooooook. Weird. But I can see them together. That is, if Glenn'd loosen up some. Otherwise Orlha's smack him.


End file.
